Goldberg Says WWE Demeaned His Character, Reveals How WCW Contracts Carried Over To WWE, If He'd Let His Kids Wrestle, Japan, Movies, & More
The following is courtesy of AskMen.com:
Q: Where are you right now?
I am in Santa Fe, New Mexico shooting a remake of The Longest Yard.
Q: How did you get involved in the project?
The same way everyone else in Hollywood does. I played professional football, so it's an easy fit.
Q: Speaking of the NFL, you were drafted by the Rams in 1990, played with Sacramento for a couple of years and then played with the Falcons. Can you explain how an abdominal injury forced you to end your career in the NFL, yet you were fine to wrestle?
I don't know how I'm able to do what I do now, considering the injury that had ended my career. It is baffling, not only to me but to my doctors also. I wish I had an explanation, other than just lucky, very, very lucky. I guess it's attributed to the job they did at the Duke Medical Center in sewing me back up.
Q: Can you tell us about the business behind wrestling?
The fans think it is a very glamorous job and that we get to go from city to city. They think that it's enjoyable for us, but what it is, is drudgery. You wrestle one night, get up the next morning and fly out to the next city. You try to work out, you try to get some food into you and, lo and behold, you have to go work again. You are living out of a suitcase. It comes with the territory. The cutthroat part of it is that professional wrestling has no union. There are a number of people that are taken advantage of on a daily basis. You are caught between a rock and a hard place because you want to make your boss happy, but you are also putting your life and career in jeopardy. Guys in a situation less favorable than mine really have no say.
Q: You have an amazing track record, do you ever get into a position where you really don't want to follow the script, or is it just a matter of getting a paycheck?
There is no question in my mind that I am not doing it for the money. If I was doing it for the money then I would still be there. The fact is that I made a stand a number of times in my career, and I did it because I knew I was right.
Q: Can you give us an example?
When WCW was bought out by AOL Time Warner and they decided to not have wrestling on their programming anymore, Vince ended up buying WCW. Most of the contracts carried over, but if they wanted to work for him, they would get $0.50 on the dollar. I wasn't going to stand for that.
Q: Did you suffer for that?
I don't think so. I sat out and made my money. What kind of moron would go to work for half the amount of money, when they could sit at home and collect what's written in a contract?
Q: Were you in a unique position to do that?
I had creative control over my character, which means if they wanted me to do something that I didn't agree with, then I wouldn't do it. If it was good for the show, then I had no problem. If it was demeaning to the character and wasn't adding a positive light to the show, then I can guarantee that I wouldn't do it.
Q: How did WCW and WWE differ?
Vince McMahon, he was the determining factor. He was the main player at WWE. It was just a totally different atmosphere, it was more of a business-like atmosphere and, to me, it wasn't as fun. It was like we were infiltrating a tight-knit family and we weren't wanted. You don't need to demean and knock the character down because they were once part of the competition.
Q: When you hear the words Vince McMahon, what comes to mind?
He's the owner of the largest wrestling company and the most prestigious wrestling company ever known to man. Everyone in the business owes it to their career to be a performer under his image. He pioneered the business.
Q: If you had kids, would you let them get into wrestling?
Absolutely not, it's such a cutthroat business and not many people are in a position to fend for themselves.
Q: What's next for you?
I have a movie coming out in December, where I play a 6'3", 280-pound Jewish Santa Claus. I have a TV show on the History Channel. My plate is fairly full. I also still wrestle in Japan.
Q: Thanks for giving us the inside scoop! Good luck in all your future endeavors.
For more info on Goldberg, check out www.billgoldberg.com.
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